The present invention relates generally to educational and diagnostic communication devices and, more particularly, to a visual communication and diagnostic tool for children through which expression can be manifested as a pictorial story.
At present, several art-related vehicles for the development of a child's imagination and self-expression are available for use by a child's parents or teachers.
Among the expression, communication, and diagnostic devices available for young children or individuals with learning disabilities, are the drawing mediums of crayons, paints, finger paints, clay, paper collages, etc., all of which are utilized with the aim of enabling a youngster to communicate without utilizing written words. But, presented with these conventional and widely-used expression forms are certain drawbacks which the present invention greatly alleviates. These modes of communication, for example, require utilization by a child or individual of only a few of his senses, often ignoring, for example, the important utilization of an individual's tactile or touching sense. Similarly, through utilizing paints or drawing apparata, the child is unable to appropriately distinguish or perceive objects as they are being drawn on paper. At an early age, a child's need for appreciating perspective is similarly ignored by the majority of these tools. Similarly, most of these expression modes are not re-usable nor do they allow experimentation before the user's expression is finalized on paper, nor do the tools provide objects for the child to work with of which he may already be familiar, nor teach of new objects about which the child may not be familiar.
Only a few communication devices have evolved which utilize the placement of already provided objects onto a story background. Several educational tools, games, and art toys, for example, are provided today which give a child a small stationary background onto which objects may be placed. The present invention utilizes some of the basic concepts inherent with these types of devices as well as cutting and pasting, but -- at the same time -- goes further by providing a series of storytelling frames, enabling the child to tell a story with a series of backgrounds in a continuous progression in the same manner in which a book tells a story from page to page.
It is thus an object of the present invention to enable a child to utilize his tactile sense with a series of familiar story figures while at the same time providing the child's, or individual's, perception and perspective.
It is similarly an object of the present invention to provide a re-usable communication tool which allows experimentation in the placement of provided objects before these objects are positioned on a series of pages to tell a story. It is also an object of the present invention to foster creativity in and from the user while familiarizing the user with a myriad of objects and shapes and the size-ratios between these objects and shapes.
Additionally, it is an object of my visual communication tool to prompt the imagination of a child and educate him to portray certain social experiences in an environment of fun and enjoyment while familiarizing him with continuity of expression, and at the same time introducing him to the workings of books even before he is capable of reading and writing. The invention further prompts an individual's use of characters and scenery, promotes problem-solving, and improves hand-to-eye coordination as well as small motor control development.
In addition to these objects, it is an aim of my invention to develop good work habits for the user, and to prompt articulated communication by the child by eliciting an explained story associated with the pictorial story set forth in the invention, both as an educational tool and as a diagnostic tool. These and other advantages become apparent through the following disclosure.